Archived Research: Lifestyle and habits that may delay or prevent Alzheimer's disease
Researchers have identified a number of factors that may predispose us to developing Alzheimer's disease. Some of these, like our family histories and genes, are impossible for us to change. Still, there are some factors we can affect. These range from things we can control relatively easily, such as diet or leisure activities, to factors such as education level or marital status, which are more difficult to change.
 Alcohol and tobacco consumption
Education
Marital status
Estrogen use
Diet
Hobbies and leisure activities
Alcohol and tobacco consumption
While some studies have suggested that either alcohol or tobacco consumption may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, others have not. A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health looked at more than 500 older residents of East Boston and found that mild to moderate alcohol intake did not increase the incidence of Alzheimer's disease, and neither did smoking.
A French study sought to determine if smoking or alcohol intake might possibly be protective against the development of Alzheimer's disease, as some earlier research had suggested. Although preliminary interpretations of the data they collected implied that wine drinking was protective, broadening the population studied to include those in long-term care facilities showed that wine drinking offered no protection. Smoking was similarly found to be of no help in preventing Alzheimer's disease. Indeed, both habits were found to increase the risks of some mental decline with aging.
On the other hand, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found an association between moderate alcohol intake and a lowered risk of dementia. Researchers followed over 700 older adults for a period of 5 to 7 years. Participants were assessed by MRI and cognitive testing and asked to report their intake of alcohol. Results showed that participants who consumed between 1 and 6 drinks per week were 50% less likely than non-drinkers to develop dementia. However, heavy alcohol consumption, defined as 14 or more drinks per week, was associated with an increased risk of dementia.
back to top
 Education
Early data suggested that those with less education were more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. The Framingham Study, a decades-long, ongoing study of the health of a population in a town outside Boston, found that education, or a lack of it, was not by itself a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, but that the increased rate of smoking and other risks for stroke found in those with less education may account for the increased incidence of Alzheimer's disease among the less educated.
Another study of the East Boston population, this one conducted by researchers from the Rush Institute on Aging in Chicago, found that the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease declined 17% for each year of education a person had. A French study of nearly 3,000 older persons found that lower education levels correlated with higher risks for Alzheimer's disease, as well.
Recently, investigators with the Religious Orders Study, a long-running study of over 900 Catholic nuns, priests, and monks in the United States, found evidence that formal education helps protect the brain from the damage caused by Alzheimer's disease. After performing autopsies on the brains of 130 deceased study participants, the scientists found that the effect that amyloid plaques had on cognition was related to the years of formal education each patient had. The same number of plaques caused less cognitive problems in those with many years of education and more cognitive decline in those with less education. The researchers believe that this may be because education enriches the number of connections and even cells in the brain, perhaps making it more adaptable when faced with widespread damage.
back to top
Marital status
A Greek study comparing 65 people with Alzheimer's disease to 69 without it found that being married reduced the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. A French study of nearly 4,000 older adults found that the risk of Alzheimer's disease was higher in those who had never married.
back to top
Estrogen use
While some studies have suggested that postmenopausal estrogen use reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a 2000 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that compared the effects of estrogen on the cognitive functioning of women with mild Alzheimer's disease found that estrogen provided no benefit. The authors of the study suggested that perhaps estrogen replacement therapy is protective of the healthy brain, but of less value to the brain that has already begun to deteriorate due to Alzheimer's disease. A recent study from the Women's Health Initiative casts doubt on that theory. The study, reported in the May 28, 2003, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed that healthy women taking estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy were twice as likely to develop dementia as women taking placebo. Furthermore, the combination hormone therapy did not protect women from developing mild cognitive impairment. However, the 2000 study was conducted using estrogen alone in women who had had a hysterectomy. It may be that only estrogen alone is effective. A study of the possible preventive effects of estrogen-only therapy on healthy women who have had a hysterectomy is still ongoing.
back to top
Diet
Saturated and trans fats may not just be bad for your heart, they may also be bad for your brain. In February 2003, scientists published a study in the Archives of Neurology that provides evidence that the type of fat you eat could affect your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Studying over 800 people over age 65, the researchers found that subjects with the highest intake of saturated or trans fats were at over twice the risk of Alzheimer's disease as compared with persons with the lowest intake of such fats. High intake of unsaturated, unhydrogenated fats seemed to offer a slight protection against Alzheimer's.
back to top
Hobbies and leisure activities
Scientists have known for some time that intellectually stimulating activities help spur the brain to produce new neurons and more connections between brain cells. Recently, researchers have begun finding evidence that mentally and/or socially enriching activities can help stave off dementia. In 2002, a study of over 700 older adults in Stockholm, Sweden, found that people who participated regularly in mental, social, or productive activities reduced their risk of dementia by over 40%. On June 19, 2003, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine offered more specific data. Studying nearly 500 normal adults older than 75 for about five years, investigators found that mentally stimulating leisure activities such as reading, playing card and board games, and doing crossword puzzles, among others, were associated with a reduced risk of dementia.
back to top
Content on Infoaging is constantly reviewed and updated by leading researchers specializing in the biology of aging and the diseases of aging. For a list of our content experts, click here.
| 
